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tapestry100 (306 KP) rated The Great Divide in Books

Jul 26, 2017

The Great Divide

Ben Fisher, Art by Adam Markiewicz | 2017 | Comics & Graphic Novels

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A dark and gritty near future dystopia where a mysterious plague has fallen on mankind, where the slightest contact of bare flesh will cause immediate death for one of those being touched, but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to who lives or dies. On top of that, the survivor also then carries around in their head the persona of the person they killed. This can sometimes cause madness in the survivor, but some can coexist with their new passenger. Of course, with no physical skin-to-skin contact possible, sex is off-limits but brothels survive, with watching, no touching, rules in place. Isolation becomes the means of survival, but with that isolation also comes the end of the human race. That is, until two unlikely allies possibly discover the cause of the plague, and possibly a means to undo it.

The Great Divide is definitely not for the lighthearted. This is a very grim look at humanity and what happens when all means of physical contact is stripped away. It is a violent, sexualized dystopia that Ben Fisher and Adam Markiewicz give us, but it is still a story about the resilience of the human spirit.

Kudos

Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Station Eleven in Books

Sep 6, 2017

Station Eleven

Emily St. John Mandel | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

7.9

(29 Ratings)

Book Rating

Coherent plot, multiple points of view done well (0 more)

Meh (0 more)

Okay?

This was marketed as a dystopia, but it’s really more post-Apocalypse fiction. There’s a fine line between the two – and sometimes things can straddle it – but I wouldn’t call this a dystopia. So I’m a little disappointed there. Otherwise, it was good. I’m left not really sure how I should feel about it, though. I prefer books that make me feel a certain way – romances make me happy, non-fiction usually makes me feel smarter, like I’ve learned something, graphic novels make me nostalgic. I’m even okay with books like The Fault in Our Stars, or The Crown’s Game, that left me a weeping mess. Station Eleven just left me with an “…o-kay?” Like, what am I supposed to do with this? Unlike most dystopias, I don’t feel like it was a social commentary because it’s post-apocalyptic. (In this case, a virus swept through and killed about 99% of Earth’s population.) But at the same time, because it details events both before and after the apocalypse, I feel like it was trying to be?

See my full review at https://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/book-review-station-eleven/

Kudos

Christine Allard (22 KP) rated Red Clocks in Books

Jan 28, 2018

Red Clocks

Leni Zumas | 2018 | Gender Studies, Science Fiction/Fantasy

6.5

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

A near future dystopia that is worth considering. (0 more)

Awkward prose, confusing characters, lacking clear arc. (0 more)

Interesting premise, writing got in the way.

I wanted to like this book. Managed to get through it in a few sittings, but it was a struggle. All but one of the women were unrelatable and shallowly formed. Frustrating that they were reduced to “titles” with their names seldom acknowledged.

Overall, it didn’t really spark any new thoughts on a complex issue, nor did it offer any resolution or new commentary about what an overturn of Roe v Wade would have on society.

Very disappointing. Not recommended.

Kudos

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

8.2 (84 Ratings) Rate It

Movie Watch

After travelling to the future year of 2015 with Doc Brown in the now-flying DeLorean time machine,...

Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Inside Out (Insider, #1) in Books

Jan 11, 2021

I normally love a dystopia/post-apocalyptic story, filled with engaging characters and an interesting plotline.

Unfortunately, for me, this one fell flat. The storyline didn't pull me in right away (or ever, if I'm being brutally honest) and I didn't connect with the characters or their plight to escape Inside.

I was just determined to not have another DNF so I persevered and finished it last night.

I've also tried reading one of the author's other works and I couldn't get into that either so I think this will be the last and only book I read by Maria V. Snyder

Kudos

Leah (: (569 KP) rated Hunted (Talented Saga, #3) in Books

Aug 2, 2018

Hunted (Talented Saga, #3)

Sophie Davis | 2012 | Dystopia, Young Adult (YA)

8.8

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

This is the third book in the series.

The book is very good, it answers some questions but definitely poses a lot more. It is possible to start to see some of the direction the series may take and who the key players are. Also to begin to make your own predictions and hopes.

It is good to see Talia and Erik continue to grow as people and their relationship evolving. They are both having to face the real world and the decisions they are making. They are also questioning what they are doing and why. The naivety of the previous books is gone.

I have really enjoyed this series and recommend it if you enjoy dystopia.